Yellow Dog Village

The Site: Yellow Dog Village is a beautiful little former mining community in the hills north of Pittsburgh. The current owner is working to restore the
- There is plenty of room and many areas to explore - you will have no problem filling your time there or having enough space. There are over a dozen small homes in varying states of disrepair that you can explore and photograph, and you can meet the owner and learn more about why this small neighborhood vanished. It is a rural area. There is no public transportation anywhere near it. You will need to drive there.

What to expect:
- We will have a cookout afterwards that you can stay to attend. This includes a campfire, sodas, hot dogs, smores, and chips. This will probably run until about 10 PM.
- You can find a variety of subjects here; photographers who enjoy landscapes and sweeping wide angle shots will have plenty to shoot here, but so will people who enjoy abstract, pattern-based shots. It is also a good spot for drone photography or infrared. The interiors of the homes can get a little repetitive as they are all fairly similar but the exteriors are beautiful, and if you hunt for the small details there are lots of rewarding things to find. This is more for photographers who enjoy taking their time to craft shots than ones who move quickly and have shorter attention spans.
- The horse(s) will be in an area that isn't a part of the workshop, mainly because we don't want anyone getting kicked, stomped, or bit by them. If you would like to arrive early, you can take a horseback ride around the area for an additional $35; details will be provided in confirmation.
- Any other questions? Check the FAQ page to see if they're answered there.

The Workshop: During the workshop I will be on hand to help you get better shots - these environments can be pretty tough to navigate photographically and I encourage you to come with questions. I know some of you are just taking the tour to see the location, and if that's the case we'll stay out of your way and let you do your thing, but we will be on hand to offer individualized instruction for the duration of the event. Learning to use a tripod, what file format to shoot in, how to compose shots better, what ISO, F-Stop, and shutter speed affect, and how to do things like exposure bracketing are very important to your results. Don't feel afraid to ask us even questions that may seem silly to you. We want you to leave with pictures you're proud of.

Safety: You need to be very aware of your safety. I encourage you to always pay attention to your surroundings. A site manager will be on hand and following their directions is critical. If you do not you may be asked to leave the site. You will be asked to sign a waiver before you enter acknowledging that you are entering a potentially unsafe environment and that you will not hold either the owners or myself liable for any harm that may befall you or your equipment. Obviously the first priority on the trip, even before taking great pictures, is making sure that you are safe - but you will need to be the one looking out for that. Please note this environment may have mold and dust that could be problematic for people with allergies or respiratory conditions. Factor that into your decision whether or not to attend. Respirators are recommended.

What to bring:
- respirator/dust mask (recommended)
- for darker areas, flashlights and/or an external flash
- a bottle of water
- sturdy boots that protect your feet
- your tripod
- a fully charged cell phone
- your camera manual if you're unsure how to change settings. I can help you find the information you need in the manual but most cameras have their own ways of accessing features and changing settings and that makes things a lot easier.

By signing up you agree to the following terms: Please make sure you check the email associated with your Paypal account for confirmation/updates! Your Paypal receipt is your confirmation, an email will follow with further details no less than a week prior to the event. You will need to sign a waiver to participate in this event, a sample of which can be found here. By signing up for this workshop you agree not to use information attained before or during the workshop to illegally trespass or set up competing workshops/events at this location. Because of the extremely limited tour spots there are NO REFUNDS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES if you have signed up for the tour except in case of workshop cancellation by Abandoned America. BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THIS WORKSHOP, THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS. You may give a paid spot in the workshop to someone else if you are unable to attend but admission may not be transferred to another event. There is always a possibility that the workshop may need to be moved to a different date based on severe inclement weather or site manager's limitations. If this is the case notification will be given immediately and a refund will be offered if attendee is unable to make the alternate date. We cannot be held liable for travel, rental, or other costs incurred by attendee in the event of workshop cancellation. We do make every effort to ensure all events run on schedule. All sales are final.

If you have questions or are thinking about signing up, please read the Workshop FAQ Page! Send me a note at admin@abandonedamerica.org if you need to know anything else. If the PayPal link is immediately below this there are still open spots.

Comments

By Angela: Highly recommend this workshop. It's an amazing location. Lots of history and many facets to photograph. One of Matt's best...but then again all of his location workshops are the best!

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